And so it begins.

Over the last few weeks, I've done quite a bit of research about the various organizations that offer training and certification for doulas.  I finally found the one that, I think, best suits my own views, goals, and personal philosophies:  Birth Arts International.

What drew me to BAI over other organizations?  A lot of things.  From the doula education page on the BAI website:

Birth is a journey. On the road to birth the woman is taken from womanhood to motherhood. The woman is transformed through birth, her birth, her experience. Honoring and preserving the birth experience is the role of the doula. Birth Arts doula trainers are both trained in the Wise Woman tradition and herbalism, these are also brought into the the training program. 

Birth is a spiritual thing, no matter what your beliefs are.  I love that this view is reflected in the introduction to the course.  The director, Demetria Clark, is a Master Herbalist and Aromatherapist, as well as being a lay midwife.  It pleases me that those things are reflected in the curriculum; I have always had an interest (on an amateur level) in herbalism and aromatherapy, and I am excited to learn new things about both, as they relate to pregnancy and childbirth.

The course offerings that are available through BAI are extensive, from the labor & birth doula course that I am presently enrolled in, to the midwife's assistant course (which I hope to take, in time.)  Since I knew going in to this that I would, eventually, like to become trained as a childbirth and breastfeeding educator, it appealed to me that those options would also be available through BAI, as well as other, advanced training topics.  When all your training comes from the same place, you don't have to worry about conflicting views and practices.

The BAI doula program has a more extensive required reading list than some other doula certification courses, but I am totally fine with that; I love to read, and I retain information gathered through reading better than any other way.  The distance learning option works perfectly for me, since attending a workshop lasting several days might not be ideal with a nurseling in tow.  There is no specific time frame in which your coursework has to be completed (another plus for a mother with small children), and you are free to do the assignments in any order you choose.  There is an excellent education portal online, where all of your assignments are available (you submit them through the portal, as well), and a huge list of resources.

I haven't had the opportunity to go through the learning portal in great detail yet, but my initial impression is that this is a well-rounded course, with a great deal of valuable and useful information. I am very much looking forward to diving in.

If you are in need of financial aid, Birth Arts International offers partial scholarships to their programs.  I was the recipient of a scholarship myself, for which I am truly grateful; that scholarship is making it possible for me to pursue my dream.